Washington, D.C – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) celebrated $16 million in federal funding for the Virginia Advanced Pharma Manufacturing (APM) and R&D Cluster in the Richmond-Petersburg region. The cluster is led by the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority. The funding, awarded through the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs Program, will help the cluster fully establish a domestic manufacturing pathway for essential medicines and advance U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. The members wrote letters in support of the funding.
“For years, Virginia and the Virginia Advanced Pharma Manufacturing Cluster have been leading the charge in establishing our country’s dominance in the production of critical medicines,” said Warner. “These federal dollars will help cement the Commonwealth’s position as a national leader in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing while creating good-paying jobs in the Petersburg region, strengthening our economy, reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains, and protecting our national security.”
“I’m thrilled that $16 million is headed to the Virginia Advanced Pharma Manufacturing Cluster to support the domestic manufacturing of critical medicines, boost our supply chains, and grow our regional economy,” said Kaine. “When I was on the Richmond City Council, I helped form the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, and I’m immensely proud of what we’ve done together to turn it into a thriving domestic manufacturing hub and economic engine in the region. I look forward to the continued partnership.”
“To remain competitive on the global stage, we must continue to invest in domestic manufacturing for life-saving medicines that create jobs, support regional growth and offer reliable access to medications for patients in need,” said McClellan. “This grant funding will do all that and more by supporting the Virginia Advanced Pharma Manufacturing Cluster in its core mission to create a sustainable and cutting-edge manufacturing hub in the Richmond-Petersburg region. I thank Senators Warner and Kaine for their partnership and look forward to the developments this will bring to Virginia’s Fourth District.”
Warner, Kaine, and McClellan have long supported the APM cluster in Richmond-Petersburg and have supported policies to strengthen domestic manufacturing of critical medicines. In 2023, the APM cluster was designated as a Tech Hub under the CHIPS and Science Act for its innovative work in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. In September 2022, the senators helped secure $52.9 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for the cluster. In January 2025, the senators announced $3.9 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to expand regional workforce training programs that support the APM cluster.
In August 2024, Kaine toured Phlow Corp., a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the Virginia APM cluster. In April 2022, Kaine visited the cluster to learn more about its efforts to streamline prescription drug manufacturing. Kaine helped form and grow the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority while he was on Richmond City Council, served on the Authority’s board as Mayor of Richmond, and appointed its board members as Governor of Virginia.